A 19th-century church, rectory, schoolhouse, and convent in the Marigny converted into a 71-room hotel that manages to honour every one of those former lives without reducing any of them to a theme. The rooms are spread across the four buildings, each with distinct character — the Schoolhouse rooms are light and minimal, the Convent rooms are monastic and calm, the Rectory rooms are grander, and the Church building carries the proportions of its original purpose. The Elysian Bar, set in the preserved church nave, is one of the most beautiful drinking spaces in the city: vaulted ceiling, original woodwork, cocktails served in a room where people once prayed. The hotel is independently owned, which in a city of Marriotts and Hiltons matters more than it should.
Location
Marigny, New Orleans
Insider Intel
Drinks at the Elysian Bar in the preserved church nave — the martini programme is excellent and the space deserves a drink that matches its architecture. The food at the Elysian Bar is also strong: seasonal, ingredient-driven, and more ambitious than hotel-bar food has any right to be. Evening is the optimal time, when the light through the church windows softens to gold.
Book the Schoolhouse or Convent rooms for the most distinctive experience. The Elysian Bar is at its most atmospheric at sunset when light pours through the nave windows. The Marigny location puts you walking distance from Frenchmen Street, which means live music is a stroll rather than a cab ride. Avoid Mardi Gras pricing unless you are committed to the festival.
Four buildings, each with different room styles — research which building matches your preference before booking. The Elysian Bar is worth visiting even if you are not staying at the hotel. The Marigny location on Burgundy Street is quiet and residential, one block from Frenchmen Street's music corridor. The church conversion is genuine and respectful — the architecture is preserved, not costumed. Independent ownership means the hotel has a personality that chain properties cannot replicate. Rates vary seasonally from $200-500.